LSU offensive lineman Herman Johnson is eager to show those scouting the Senior Bowl that his size can work in his favor

MOBILE, ALA. -- An audible gasp swept through the room Monday morning when LSU guard Herman Johnson stepped off the scale and his weight was announced at 382 pounds.

The hundreds of coaches, scouts and general managers who annually attend the Senior Bowl have seen it all over the years. But they were still a bit awed by Johnson's overwhelming dimensions.

Not only is he one of the biggest players ever to weigh in for the annual college all-star game. But he also caused a stir in the usually reserved crowd when his arms measured in at 36 inches, and his hands reached nearly 12 inches during the official measuring process, which is often dubbed the "meat market."

Coaches, scouts and writers continued to discuss Johnson, who stands 6 feet 7, throughout the South team's practices Monday and Tuesday, trying to come up with past players nearly as large. Names such as Leonard Davis, Bryant McKinnie, Stockar McDougal and Aaron Gibson came quickly to mind -- some of whom had outstanding NFL careers, and some who flamed out quickly.

And that's the big question with Johnson -- the really big question, that is -- can he manage that weight enough to stay athletic, agile and healthy in the NFL?

"Well, I think consistency and quickness are the two things he's got to do better on, but he's got all the other skills," said former Saints general manager Randy Mueller, who now works for the San Diego Chargers. "You know, they've got to go a long ways to get around him. He's an impressive physical specimen. It's like they say about the 7-foot center; he's big every day. This guy's big every day."

Johnson, who is from Olla, was famous for two reasons when he first arrived at LSU. He is believed to be one of the largest babies ever born in Louisiana at 15 pounds, 14 ounces. And he quickly landed in Coach Nick Saban's doghouse when he reported to the school at 411 pounds.

Johnson, who said he has learned to control his weight with a much more reasonable diet -- five meals a day instead of two super-sized ones -- said he knows that he needs to convince prospective employers that he is worth the risk. But he's confident in his ability to do that.

"The scouts, they're going to look at the tapes from my career, and that's going to help me. But coming out here and performing and bringing my 'A game,' that's important," said Johnson, who said the teams he's been speaking with have definitely discussed his weight, but he has tried to put any concerns at ease by talking about his diet and exercise regimen.
He said he'd like to get down to 360 or 365 pounds before the draft.

"It's serious business," he said about this week -- the first of a series of critical job auditions. "But I'm trying to relax, stay humble and not try to think about stuff too much. When you tend to think, you make mistakes. I'm just trying to relax and stay focused."

Johnson, a three-year starter at LSU, was a first-team All-American as a senior and a first-team All-SEC selection as a junior at left guard. His durability was not an issue in college. He joined Ciron Black as the first two players in school history to play more than 1,000 snaps in a season, when he lined up for 1,030 this past season.

He has lined up at guard and at right tackle this week, with scouts wanting to evaluate his versatility. Johnson said he needs to improve his footwork to stand out, but he said he knows that the more positions he can play, the better off he'll be.

NFL scout John Murphy said like any big man, Johnson is susceptible to being beaten by fast pass rushers around the corner at times. But he said from a run-blocking standpoint, "if he physically grabs hold of you, you're pretty much done."

"He's pretty much about as big of a guy as you'll ever see out here at any of these games," Murphy said. "But when you look at him, it's not all over the place. He's just a very big guy. For him it's not as much of a big deal as guys who could come here at 330 and show up overweight.

"Physically, he is so big that (it's nearly impossible) to get that guy out of his place and out of the way. It's not just about what he does for his own spot, but he can kind of cover the center or you could even move him to right tackle in the right scheme, where you don't need other guys next to him when you're running the ball."

NFL Draft Scout ranks Johnson as the No. 2 guard prospect and projects him as a second-round pick. Murphy said Johnson could go anywhere from the second to fourth rounds, based on his workouts. But he said he thinks he can make an impact even quicker than higher-rated prospects such as Oklahoma's Duke Robinson.

"Some people will get afraid of 382 pounds, there's no doubt about that," Murphy said. "But I think he's a try-hard kid, he's got a real good personality to him, and football has a lot of value to this kid. And that's what you want. You don't want a lazy lineman, especially when they're that big. And every once in a while, when he flashes that nasty streak, it's pretty much over for anybody that's in front of him.

"I think the practices are real important for him. And it would be smart to work down to 365 or 370. And for him, people will want to see some footwork. His 40 time is irrelevant. What matters is his 10, 20 and 'How does he look on his feet?'¤"

Mueller, who had already been to Louisiana for a closer look at Johnson before this week, said he carries his weight "very well." And Mueller said he doesn't expect any teams to rule Johnson out based solely on his measurements.

LSU defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois, who decided to leave school after his junior season, also came for the week to introduce himself to coaches and scouts, even though he's not eligible to play in the game as an underclassman.

"I came down here to talk to coaches and have my face be well-known. Try to make the world know, try to let them learn my personality, learn who Ricky Jean-Francois is," said Jean-Francois, a mid-round prospect.

Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.